Broccoli-Bacon Vegan Hand Pies

Broccoli-Bacon Vegan Hand Pies are simple to make and a perfect appetizer or even grab-and-go snack.

Lately, I’ve been going back to my veggie roots and eating a ton of broccoli. I know, kale gets all of the love as a super-mega-veggie, but broccoli has always had a special place in my heart. So when I got the chance to develop a recipe starring Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry, making Vegan Hand Pies stuffed with a broccoli and vegan bacon just felt so, so right.

The filling for these vegan hand pies is actually loosely based on the quiche that I baked for the Atlanta Veg Fest Bake Sale, but without the quiche base. My friend, Leigh, who runs the sale told me that the quiche sold out quickly.

Five sold right when I showed up with the pan. A family bought three, ate them, and immediately bought two more. That’s how I knew that bacon and broccoli paired with flaky, Puff Pastry would be a guaranteed tasty treat!

I’ll confess a thing now: I almost never make pie crust from scratch. Who has the time? Certainly not me, and these Puff Pastry Sheets bring that same laziness to my Vegan Hand Pies.

These little guys couldn’t be easier to make! Just chop and then saute the filling ingredients for a few minutes, and you are ready to slice, fold, and bake.

The secret to quickly and easily slicing the Puff Pastry Sheets for your Vegan Hand Pies is to use a pizza cutter, just like I did when I made those Vegan Cheesy Crackers. Not only is it easier to get nice, straight lines, it’s more fun! You don’t NEED a pizza cutter to make this recipe, but if you have one, I definitely recommend whipping it out.

Broccoli-Bacon Vegan Hand Pies

Broccoli-Bacon Vegan Hand Pies are simple to make an a perfect appetizer or even grab-and-go snack.

Method

Preheat the oven to 400F.

In a frying pan on medium-high heat, heat the olive oil, then add the broccoli, bacon, green onions, and sage. Cook until the bacon begins to brown and the broccoli is tender. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

Roll out the thawed Puff Pastry Sheet on a lightly floured surface, and use your pizza cutter to slice it into 6 equal rectangles (see the video). Slice it in half in one direction, then slice into thirds in the other direction.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of the broccoli-bacon mixture onto one side of each rectangle, then top each with 1 tablespoon of vegan cheddar. Fold them over, and crimp closed with a fork.

Bake for 15 minutes on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (NOT wax paper). Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

Thawing the Puff Pastry Sheet is not optional in this recipe. If you try to roll it out before it's softened, it will break into pieces. Your dough is ready when it's soft and pliable, but still a little bit cold. It takes between 30 and 40 minutes in my kitchen, depending on how warm the room is.